Huh?

So I read two news stories today, which were quite different. In fact, diametrically opposed.

The first story stated that some are trying to normalize pedophilia, saying that it is just another "sexual orientation" that someone is born with and that cannot be changed. So who are we to say that is wrong? Along with this effort comes the desire to lower the age of consent from 18 to something less than that. And get this - if pedophilia gains status as an accepted sexual orientation, that is becomes a protected category under civil rights laws! (HT: Gene Veith)

The second story was a report about the Roman church's recent meeting on protecting children in the church. Out of that meeting was expressed the desire to raise the age of who is considered a minor from 14 to something older. One wonders why it was so low in the first place.

What a messed up, mixed up world we live in.

Luther Conference

This is where I will be this week:

The line-up of speakers for this conference looks promising - I will let you know how it goes.

Rome v. Luther Today

A day or so ago I listen to Cardinal Timothy Dolan's sermon from this past Sunday. He used the reading from Exodus 20 as his text - the Ten Commandments. If you want to listen to it, click here. But let me just briefly tell you what he said: Law. All law. Nothing but law. It was "happy law" to be sure! He made it sound really good and that yup, you can do it!

Compare that to this following reading from Luther, based upon what Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 1: "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief."

Luther: Ponder on this text and diligently arm yourself so that you will be prudent at all times - not only if your conscience is clear (apart from the struggle with your conscience), but also and particularly, when you have to contend with death and you are confronted with the greatest perils and dangers. This is when your conscience will be reminding you of the sins you have committed and it will be in a state of horror. Satan will appear before you as a mighty power and his intention will be to overwhelm you with the great burden of your sins flooding into your mind like a huge deluge. Satan will try to scare you away from Christ and will also try to chase you away from Him so that you will end up in despair. I say: "Remember that Christ did not offer Himself up for invented or exaggerated sins but for real sins - not for small insignificant sins but for great and coarse sins, and not just for a couple of sins here and there, but for all the sins of the world, not for sins that have been overcome and eliminated, but for scarlet and powerful sins that have still not been dispensed with."

Quite a difference!

Christ at the Center

Well, it's snowing pretty good here today. Supposed to warm up a bit, but so far the temperature has fallen. Supposed to change over to sleet and freezing rain, and then plain rain overnight - the question will be how much snow falls first. We'll see!

But anyway, more words from Dr. Schmauk . . .

The difference between various [Christian denominations] lies not merely in some difference of their component elements, but also in the way in which those elements are set in their relation to each other; and the large and more sweeping difference, which counts on the whole, is to be found in the latter fact.  . . . 

The Roman Confession writes the doctrine of the Church large, and makes it the visible centre on which all else revolves. The original Reformed Confession writes the doctrine of God, our Sovereign and Creator, large, and makes it the centre and goal of the faith. Many of the older sects exalted the doctrine of the individual and his freedom, as the large and controlling element of their faith  . . .  The Lutheran Confession is the one Confession that writes the doctrine of Christ large.  . . .  If Christology is thus the centre, the centre of Christology is Christ's office as Priest, and particularly that of completed redemption through his vicarious satisfaction. In Word and Sacraments it recognizes the means whereby the fruits of his satisfaction are applied.

The Confessional Principle and The Confessions of the Lutheran Church, 

p. 136-37

Prescient

Hence, while the tyranny of Rome is the supreme authority of the Church over conscience, the tyranny of liberal Protestantism is the supreme authority of every man's conscience over the Scripture and the Church. Both positions are extreme and sceptical [sic]. That of Rome distrusts the Truth in its power over the individual conscience, while that of liberal Protestantism suspects the Truth of Scripture and the Church, and does not believe that there is one objective and stable centre of truth revealed from above in which the consciences of all perfect men can believe and unite. As against the scepticism [sic] of the isolated, thinking Protestant, Rome is almost sure to win in the end, for having tried every position of solitary speculation, the mind, exhausted and unwilling to abide all alone, will yield to the fundamental craving for authority, and fall back helplessly into the strong arms that seem to offer it certainty in a guaranteed and absolute sense. The end of Protestantism without the Word of God as the one common and absolute authority is either skepticism or Romanism. 

~ Theodore Schmauk, 1911 [emphasis mine]

Do We Still Need the Reformation?

You be the judge. This was taken off a Roman Catholic blog I sometimes read:

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From the Handbook of Indulgences

Visiting a Church or an Oratory on All Souls Day

A plenary (“full”) indulgence, which is applicable only to the souls in Purgatory is granted to the Christian faithful who devoutly visit a church or an oratory on (November 2nd,) All Souls Day.

Will you not, for love, try to gain these indulgences?  Make a plan.

Requirements for Obtaining a Plenary Indulgence on All Souls Day (2 Nov)

• Visit a church and pray for souls in Purgatory
• Say one “Our Father” and the “Apostles Creed” in the visit to the church
• Say one “Our Father” and one “Hail Mary” for the Holy Father’s intentions (that is, the intentions designated by the Holy Father each month)
• Worthily receive Holy Communion (ideally on the same day if you can get to Mass)
• Make a sacramental confession within 20 days of All Souls Day
• For a plenary indulgence be  free from all attachment to sin, even venial sin (otherwise, the indulgence is partial, not plenary, “full”).

You can acquire one plenary indulgence a day.

A partial indulgence can be obtained by visiting a cemetery and praying for the departed.  You can gain a plenary indulgence visiting a cemetery each day between 1 November and 8 November. These indulgences are applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory.

A plenary indulgence, applicable only the Souls in Purgatory, is also granted when you visit a church or a public oratory on 2 November. While visiting the church or oratory say one Our Father and the Apostles Creed.

A partial indulgence, applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory, can be obtained when saying the “Eternal rest … Requiem aeternam…” prayer.

Thoughts on the Papal Abdication and Election

As a Ph.D. student at The Catholic University of America, the official papal university in the United States, the news surrounding the pope's abdication and the upcoming conclave are news items of importance for this community that I frequent. Of course, I am somewhat of an interloper, not being a member of the Roman church, but am still a member of the community there. (And treated very well, I might add!) During my course of studies it has been quite interesting to observe from a more "insider" perspective the workings of the Church of Rome - both positive and negative.

Regarding the upcoming conclave, yes, I have been watching the goings on and am quite interested. This is so because what happens in one church body affects the others also - both in positive and negative ways. For example, when I was taking classes and we do the obligatory introduction on the first day of class, I would introduce myself as a Lutheran Pastor, but then have to immediately add "but not that kind of Lutheran!" (Meaning, not one of the Lutherans who approve of women pastors, supports abortion rights, and has homosexual clergy.) To which there was often a sigh of relief!

But that is just an example. This is also true of the church with regard to the world. Unbelievers do not make much distinction between denominations - we're all "Christians" to them. So when one church decides homosexuality is alright, or one church is caught up in financial scandals or child abuse scandals, or a church leader kisses the Koran (!) - we're all guilty. Likewise, then, with the papal news - though we're not directly involved, it affects us all, pro or con.

So, who is elected the next pope is important. I have appreciated many of the things said by the last two popes, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, and their strong voice for the sanctity of life, the biblical teaching on marriage, the liturgy, and more. Of course, we still have theological disagreement and that cannot be dismissed. For the most part, coverage of these goings on have been positive, and for that I am grateful. It will be interesting now to see what happens next . . .